Writer Valeriy Shevchuk, a great chronicler of the Ukrainian soul, dies
6 May 12:49
Ukrainian writer and literary critic, translator and researcher, one of the last representatives of the Sixties generation, Valeriy Shevchuk, has died at the age of 86. His daughter, Yulianna Shevchuk, announced this on Facebook.
“My father, writer Valeriy Shevchuk, passed away at the age of 86. His earthly suffering is over… He suffered himself and he suffered us… Grant him eternal rest, O Lord, and let the eternal light shine upon him. Rest in peace, dad!”
– valeria Shevchuk wrote.
According to her, the writer died in the intensive care unit of Feofaniya Hospital after a serious illness.
"Komersant Ukrainian" recalls the life and work of the great Ukrainian, whose death was a great loss for Ukrainian culture.
From Zhytomyr to Kyiv: the artist’s path
Valeriy Shevchuk was born on August 20, 1939, in Zhytomyr in the family of a shoemaker. After graduating from high school in 1956, he tried to enter the Lviv Forestry Institute, but was unsuccessful. After returning home, he worked as a laborer during the renovation of the Zhytomyr Agricultural Institute. During this period, he became interested in studying literature, particularly Ukrainian literature.
In 1958, he entered the Faculty of History and Philosophy at Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, where he studied history and philosophy. He paid special attention to auxiliary historical disciplines, in particular paleography and archival studies, which later influenced his literary work.
Creativity between reality and mysticism
Shevchuk’s first literary attempts appeared in the early 1960s. His debut short story “Nastushka” was published in 1961 in the collection “A Wreath for Kobzar”. Since then, he has been active in the genres of prose, essays, and literary criticism.
Shevchuk is known for his whimsical prose that combines elements of history, mythology, and philosophy. His novelThe House on the Mountain(1983) has become a classic of Ukrainian literature, where the mundane is intertwined with the fantastic, and reality with mysticism. Other well-known works includeOn a Humble Field…(1982),Birds from an Invisible Island(1989), Pestilence (1989), andThe Eye of the Abyss(1996).
His prose is often compared to the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Franz Kafka, but with a deep Ukrainian context. Shevchuk skillfully used Ukrainian folklore, baroque aesthetics, and philosophical reflections to create a unique literary world.
Researcher of Ukrainian heritage
In addition to fiction, Shevchuk was actively involved in researching and popularizing Ukrainian cultural heritage. He translated and compiled works of ancient Ukrainian literature, including The Chronicle of Samiylo Velychko, as well as anthologies of baroque poetry, such as Songs of Cupid and Apollo’s Lute.
His scholarly works, such as “The Cossack State as an Idea in the System of Social and Political Thinking of the 16th-18th Centuries,” have made an important contribution to the study of Ukrainian history and culture.
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Silent resistance and civic engagement
In Soviet times, Shevchuk repeatedly faced censorship and harassment because of his independent stance and commitment to Ukrainian culture. His works were often not allowed to be published, and he was forced to write “in a drawer.” Nevertheless, he did not give up his beliefs and continued to create, remaining faithful to national values.
His “quiet resistance” was manifested not only in literature but also in public activities. He maintained ties with the Ukrainian diaspora, in particular with the New York group, and actively contributed to the development of Ukrainian culture.
Stories from the writer’s life
Valeriy Shevchuk is not only a prominent Ukrainian writer, but also a man with a rich life experience full of interesting and sometimes funny stories. They show Valeriy Shevchuk not only as a talented writer, but also as a person with a deep inner world, full of love for life, family, and Ukrainian culture.
A little traveler
As a child, Valeriy used to get lost. One day, during the German occupation, he took offense at his brother and decided to find his mother, who had gone to the market, on his own. Little Valerii wandered into the Smolianka neighborhood, where, according to rumors, “children were boiled for soap.” His disappearance was the reason for an announcement in the occupation newspaper and on the radio. Fortunately, the boy was found and returned home. He later described this incident in the story “The First Sleepless Night” from the collection “Valley of Springs”.
A writer of the old school
Shevchuk remained faithful to traditional writing methods: he first wrote by hand and then reprinted it on a typewriter. This allowed him to think carefully about each word and phrase, giving his texts a special depth and balance.
A storyteller for daughters
The writer created a collection of fairy tales called The Lady of the Flowers, inspired by his joint inventions with his daughters. These tales, full of fantasy and magic, have become favorites among young readers and testify to the author’s warm family relationships.
“Kelia” in Solomianka
Shevchuk called his study “kelya”. It was a small room filled with books to the ceiling, with minimal furniture. It was in this “kelya” that his works, which became classics of Ukrainian literature, were born.
Refusal of publicity
Despite his fame, Shevchuk avoided public speaking and television. He believed that this prevented him from listening to people and understanding their stories, which inspired him to write.
Recognition and legacy
Shevchuk received numerous awards for his many years of work, including the Taras Shevchenko State Prize of Ukraine, the Antonovych Foundation Prize, and the Yevhen Malaniuk, Olena Pchilka, and Oleksandr Kopylenko Literary Prizes. He was also an honorary professor at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Lviv Polytechnic National University.
His works, translated into more than 20 languages, remain alive, inspiring new generations of readers and artists.
Valeriy Shevchuk’s quotes
On literature, the reader and the author
“A book without a reader is not a pile of paper, it will not lose its value due to the absence of a reader, but those values are temporarily closed, which does not diminish them. A coin buried in the ground does not cease to be gold and a coin, but only goes out of circulation.”
– From a 1990 interview
“The writer reveals a person and the world without a reader: from himself and for himself, but, following the natural process of creation, he gives the product of his comprehension to the judgment of society and the individual. How they perceive it should not depend on him, the author.”
– From an interview in 1990
“All the definitions applied to writers are conditional, including ‘outstanding’, excuse me, ‘recognized writer’, because the degree of recognition is also always uncertain.”
– From a 1990 interview
On the people, culture, and nation
“My fate as an artist was not cloudless, but I never complained about it. I never sought glory for myself, but I sought glory for my people and my literature.”
– From a speech after receiving the Omelan and Tetiana Antonovych International Foundation Prize in 1990
“To know your people and their culture does not mean to become a nationalist and create an apology for the people as some kind of inviolable, preserved substance; it means to see your nation and culture in all the complexity of their existence in the system of world culture, without tearing up national roots.”
– From a speech after receiving the Omelan and Tetiana Antonovych International Foundation Prize in 1990
On life, love and humanity
“Each of us is a guest in this life, but each of us builds his or her own temple as best he or she can. This temple is our soul, our pure heart. Everything passes, everything disappears and is destroyed, only love is eternal.”
– From a speech after receiving the Omelian and Tetiana Antonovych International Foundation Award in 1990
“People can live by each other’s side for a lifetime, look at each other and share their bread for a lifetime, but they will have no idea what amazing and unexpected music sometimes sounds in their hearts.”
– From the novel “The House on the Mountain”
“Simple dishes have the greatest flavor, but only if a person is hungry.”
– From the novel “The House on the Mountain”
“There is no true and false, but only good in the consequences or evil. The consequence is the root of all things.”
– From the novel The Eye of the Abyss
“The mind was a bird and flew freely on the earth… The one who builds khurdigas for others or locks himself in them is my enemy.”
– From the novel “Three Leaves Outside the Window”
A legacy that lives on
Valeriy Shevchuk left behind a vast literary legacy that continues to influence Ukrainian culture. His deep philosophical reflections, masterful blending of history and mythology, and dedication to Ukrainian identity make his works relevant today.
His life is an example of how an artist can remain true to himself and his beliefs despite the circumstances. His work is a mirror of the Ukrainian soul, full of pain, hope, and beauty.
Valeriy Shevchuk is not only a name in the history of Ukrainian literature, but also a symbol of spiritual resilience and cultural depth. His legacy will live on in the hearts of readers, reminding them of the power of words and the importance of national memory.
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